How This Pitch Competition for High Schoolers Is Making A Global Impact

The Diamond Challenge is the largest global entrepreneurship pitch competition for high school students. It was created through Horn Entrepreneurship, the epicenter of young entrepreneurial activity in Northern Delaware, and the frankly- the world. Since its creation in 2012, over 10,000 students from over 43 countries and 27 states have engaged with the Diamond Challenge.

Students are able to compete in teams of 2–4 in one of two tracks: business concept or social innovation. They may also decide whether they want to pitch live or virtually, depending on where they live. The competition and community of both young entrepreneurs and older entrepreneurs alike provides opportunities to experience entrepreneurship first-hand.

The goal of the Challenge is to empower students while they are in high school to create,deliver, and capture value from new ideas and entrepreneurial opportunities. It was through the Diamond Challenge that I began my journey as a young entrepreneur. I was enthralled by the challenging and exciting process of taking an idea and turning it into an actual business or social venture. Now, as an ambassador for the program, I am a leader, liaison and community builder between the Horn Entrepreneurship team and Diamond Challenge participants from around the world.

I had a chance to catch up with a few Diamond Challenge participants: Mohamed (Egypt), Mariia (Ukraine), David (USA), Olivia (Poland), and Omid (Italy). Here are some of the highlights from our conversation:

First, I spoke with Omid, a participant from Italy, about his venture, Mobile Cardiologist, which he is working on with his partner Kazooka from Uganda.

Miracle: Omid, please tell me more about the venture you are working on.

Omid: We develop cost effective defibrillators and ECG (Electrocardiography) monitors with high portability, offering an app support which builds a bridge between patients and doctors. We want to arrange an effective monitoring and rescue system for heart patients, providing online features. At the same time we want to grant everybody their healthcare right, despite their economic status. The Diamond Challenge pushed me to make Mobile Cardiologist more feasible and I learned to concisely explain my project goals, mission and future plan! My favorite thing about competing is joining the global community, which permits you to share opinions and wonderful ideas. I find the competitive environment [of the Diamond Challenge] very inspirational; everybody does their best to complete their project in order to help build a better world. We are the future, we are the change, we are the progress.

Then, David, from California, talked with me about how his experience as a Diamond Challenge participant and his app that allows anonymous messages to be sent to the school administration to report bullying issues.

Miracle: How has the Diamond Challenge helped you as a young entrepreneur?

David: The Diamond Challenge has helped me as a young entrepreneur because it was not only a tool to receive constant guidance and feedback from business professionals, but a simulation that allowed me truly experience the real world. The Diamond Challenge was a fun yet challenging experience that helped me respond to obstacles that I normally would not be able to deal with. My favorite thing about The Diamond Challenge is the social connection that it gives young high-schoolers across the globe. It allows aspiring entrepreneurs to meet others (just like them) from different environments and cultures, creating a community where people can begin networking at an early age. The Facebook page that Diamond Challenge controls is especially useful, with active moderators that keep the page constantly active.

I was also curious to know each of their opinions on whether where they lived could possibly affect their opportunities as a young entrepreneur.

Miracle: Do you think it’s easier to be a young entrepreneur in the USA than it is for youth in other countries? Why or Why not?

Mohamed: I don’t think it’s easier to be a young entrepreneur in the USA than it is for youth in other countries because the high competitive in USA market and it’s difficult to make a brand. It takes a long time. The Diamond Challenge helped me as a young entrepreneur through encouraging and sharing my venture.

David: Absolutely not. An entrepreneur is never limited to the environment they are placed in. If you have an innovative, creative idea that has been floating in your mind, don’t be afraid to let it loose! From a more critical standpoint though, I think that other communities across the world could have a tougher time supplying young entrepreneurs with the necessary resources and immersion they need to be involved in this field. Programs like Diamond Challenge help with this issue dramatically, since they expose these disadvantaged entrepreneurs with a fabulous opportunity to be involved in the young world of aspiring businessmen/women.

Olivia: I don’t think it’s easier in either because yes, entrepreneurship is becoming major in the US and although that means many resources are available, it also means that there are so many more competitors with similar dreams and ages and backgrounds. I believe that initiating entrepreneurship in a country where it’s not as well-known allows you to mold how it’s going to be perceived by others and have more exposure where there are significantly less competitors to begin with.

Omid: Yes, in terms of availability of resources and competition for young entrepreneurs in my country there are not many opportunities. Actually in my high school I have participated in a European Project, aimed to empower students to open their minds and create, it is a great innovative idea in our school system. Much of what we are taught in school is an outdated way of thinking. The education system can’t keep up with the way world and business is progressing and innovating. In Italy we depend on traditional principles of school learning. In my country there are few internal possibilities, but many organizations help make the integration of promising students in international incubators and innovation programs possible.

Mariia: It is evident that in developed countries with stable economy such as USA, the conditions for doing business are more favorable and youth entrepreneurship is encouraged. However, I believe that an individual with true entrepreneurial spirit and passion may be successful in every country and in all circumstances. And in case you lack some knowledge, there is always Google to help you.

Lastly, we talked about some of the challenges that young entrepreneurs may have to overcome.

David: One of the biggest issues that young entrepreneurs may face (and I know this from personal experience) is not being able to transform my product into something tangible. With active minds that are spitting out ideas by the minute, young kids don’t have any issues coming up with a powerful idea. It is the execution that can be difficult, since kids don’t have access to the financial resources that an adult with a stable income has. Another way that adults can help is to be supportive and offer advice. This support is very vital for student entrepreneurs. With young entrepreneurs, confidence is key in order to invest time and effort into an idea. Adults, especially parents, should always be supportive of their children’s concepts and be willing to support them through the ride.

Omid: As a young entrepreneur, I think one of the biggest struggles I have is receiving trust from others. Often when I try reaching out to companies, organizations, and professors to gather resources for my concept, I am quickly waived off. Part of the reason was because of our age people sometimes believe that I am unprepared, inexperienced, and too young to be investing time into such activities. I even recall receiving an e-mail back from a company respondent who told me to “Stick with school, it’s better for you.” As a younger community, I feel like we as entrepreneurs are not treated with the respect and the maturity we deserve. This isn’t just an issue in the entrepreneurial field, as I know that it has been going on for a long time. I want people to start believing in young entrepreneurs, and looking past our age to realize how wonderful our ideas can truly be.

Olivia: I think the main challenge is that everyone is very impressed with you, but isn’t actually that willing to help you when you are farther in the process with your startup. Where I live, you have to be 18 to obtain memberships in a lot of coworking spaces, apply to certain incubators, or just for your entry into a pitch competition to be taken seriously. Luckily, the Diamond Challenge doesn’t place any limits on young entrepreneurs — it provides a hard to find opportunity.

The Diamond Challenge is not only a global competition for high school students, it is also a global community of young entrepreneurs who are set on making the world a better place, one venture at a time.